Lake Destiny
by Punzie the Platypus
Summary: As a surprise, Eugene, Pascal, and Maximus take Rapunzel on a picnic at the lake they'd made the day before her eighteenth birthday.


_**Soli Deo gloria**_

 **DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Tangled.  
**

 **Awww, Tangled. It's hard to think that it's been almost six years since it aired in theaters. Time passes by when you're distracted by everyday life, doesn't it? :)**

Five years had passed since the last day Rapunzel and Eugene had had all to themselves.

Well, that was a bit of a lie. _"Eugene."_ "I always _did_ like tweaking the truth a little bit." "A little bit?" "Aw, you caught me, Blondie. Also, I love you." Giggling, _"Eugene."_

That said, days-off for both of them were hard to come by. So Rapunzel's mother, Queen Catherine, announced one evening around the grand supper table that she would take care of her young grandchild tomorrow; Rapunzel, though eager for her son, Gabriel, to receive much-needed love and time with his adoring grandmother, said, "Are you sure? Terrible Twos are a terrible state for _anyone_ to have to go through, especially when you're not his mother—"

"Darling, you have let me take care of him. How are you going to be able to go on an outing with your husband if Gabe's ruining everything?" Queen Catherine's eyes glittered with mischief as she met eyes with her own husband. King William, his hair growing silver, chuckled over his goblet.

Rapunzel's green eyes widened; she threw Eugene a look that spoke of barely restrained eagerness and accusations. "You've been planning something behind my back!" she said, astonished, leaning her head towards him.

"All in a day's work for an ex-thief," Eugene said loftily. He took a sip of wine from his own jewel-encrusted goblet (perks of being a royal). "I just mentioned to dear ol' Mom and Dad that I wanted to do something for your birthday. It was too easy. _Really._ " His head lolled so that their heads were in serious danger of knocking together.

"Okay, _fine_ , you got me. I am _so_ surprised and excited!" Rapunzel squealed. Her hands clasped in her lap; "What are we doing?"

" _That_ is another part of the awesome surprise I've planned for your birthday," Eugene teased her. "Also, it is _not_ a very big surprise. I'm kinda making a big deal out of it. It's _very_ tiny." His fingers squeezed together until there was barely an inch's worth of space between them. "So lower your expectations, Blondie."

Rapunzel couldn't hear him; instead, she carefully took their brown-haired son out of his little chair and bounced him on her lap. "Did you hear that, Gabe? Daddy has a surprise from Mommy! This is so exciting!"

Eugene sighed, not sure how to stop her. Pascal at his right-hand squeaked. Eugene gave him a look; Pascal smirked at him and, using his tail, stuck an entire strawberry into his wide mouth. He grinned at Eugene unapologetically, as if to say ' _You_ got her hyped up. _Nice.'_

* * *

Rapunzel tried to swallow her excitement as she and Eugene, with Pascal on her shoulder, walked down to the palace stables the next morning. The smile on her face couldn't disappear, though. "I can't _wait_ to find out where we're going! To the village square? No; we're having my annual birthday celebration there tomorrow. Hmmmm . . . Oh, oh, EUGENE! Are we going to the Snuggly Duckling? No, we've already gone there for my birthday before . . . don't tell me . . . we aren't going back to the tower, are we?" She cocked her head, speeding up her slow pace to keep up with him. Her smile had gone.

"Back to the tower? Sweetheart, you're most _definitely_ looking for worse-case scenarios here," Eugene said lightly. Then when he turned and saw the concerned look on her face, with those big green eyes and small mouth, he said, "Hey, hey," and put an arm around her shoulders. He snuggled his head against hers. "This is gonna be fun, and you're gonna like it. Do you trust me, Blondie?"

Rapunzel's smile grew a little at his teasing, yet also sincere voice. "If you'd asked me that question ten years ago, I am honestly not sure how I'd answer." She turned her head so their faces were inches apart. "But yes. I _do_ trust my husband."

"Okay." He took her hand in his and kissed her cheek. She closed her eyes and her smile grew.

What awakened them from their little quiet moment was a chirp from Pascal. They looked up to see him stretching a paw or two eagerly out toward the biggest stall of the stable. The occupant of this particular stall was none other than the captain of the guard, Maximus. Five years had given him muscles, self-control over his temper, and a love for his people, with just a _touch_ of aging. Now his tail wagged like an excited dog as he neighed happily, pawing the ground and sticking his long, white neck over the swinging door of his stall.

"Maximus!" Rapunzel said excitedly.

He neighed back, like they spoke the same language, and bending his head, used his teeth to easily unlock his door and let himself into the hay-strewn barnyard. Rapunzel slipped out from Eugene's embrace and raced over to hug the horse's neck.

"Upstaged by the horse. As usual," Eugene muttered.

"Is this the surprise, Eugene?" Rapunzel asked, once she'd said "Good morning" in baby talk to Maximus and scratched the underside of his head. "We get to hang out with Maximus all day?"

"That's not the _full_ surprise. It's just an element _of_ the surprise," Eugene said.

Pascal gave Eugene a look after he'd deciphered his pun.

Eugene gave Maximus a respectful nod; Maximus tipped his head up and smirked as Rapunzel opted to use both hands to scratch him.

"He hasn't gained that much in the way of humility," Eugene muttered to himself, giving Maximus a look.

"Then what's the rest of the surprise, Eugene?" Rapunzel wanted to know. She looked around them. They had Maximus and Pascal, both off from their duties as captain of the guard and adviser to the queen, respectively; both the queen of the country and the prince-consort (her and Eugene) were given momentary respite from running Corona; she appraised the big brown basket with such a smooth handle in Eugene's hand; she'd already guessed "A picnic?" and he'd said, "Yes, that _is_ a part of it. . ."

"We have to go get it. It's the main part of the surprise." Eugene slid the harness onto Maximus and nodded to himself and Pascal and Maximus and the picnic basket. "We're barely anything next to the actual surprise."

Rapunzel looked confused; but both Maximus and Pascal nodded knowingly, like Eugene had told them already and they three were just withholding secrets from her. "Okay. I trust you all." Rapunzel smiled as she walked up to Eugene's side as he secured the reins and bit on Maximus. "Let's do this."

Eugene smiled. "That's the spirit, Blondie. The spirit of adventure!"

"I was born with it," Rapunzel said, as explanation.

Maximus pawed the ground with his hooves in anticipation. Pascal leapt onto his neck, securing his wee paws in stray blond hair. Eugene offered his lowered hand, as a little step-up for her onto Maximus's saddle. All looked at her with such warmth and eagerness.

"Then let's go," Eugene said.

* * *

Rapunzel's arms wrapped around Eugene's aboard Maximus. Less than a quarter of a mile ago, he'd stopped Maximus and insisted on the blindfold. Totally blinded, she simply kept him in front of her and trusted that he knew where he was going.

She tried listening for sounds of a surprise, but all she could get above the sound of Maximus's pounding hooves destroying the forest floor was the combined breathing of them all and the sweet, rushing wind hurrying ahead of them.

Then she heard it. The slightest of sounds. The sound of something falling and landing into water.

She tingled with excitement. She bounced in the seat of the saddle even more. Oh, where could they be?

Maximus neighed as Eugene called him to a halt. Rapunzel felt herself getting carefully disentangled from Eugene so he could dismount. She felt aloft and more helpless and confused than ever atop Maximus with no eyes.

She waited patiently, though she had to bit her lip to keep the excitement contained; in just a few seconds, Eugene gently brought her down in his arms. He held her bridal style and whispered next to her ear, "Any ideas yet, Blondie?"

"I hear water; hmmm. . . We rode for far too long to be at the lake by the village. . . Are we at the stream at the tower?"

"I thought we'd already discussed the fact that taking you back to the tower would just be emotionally scarring and a dangerously bad faux pas on my part?" Eugene asked. He grinned when Rapunzel, looking incredibly adorably indignant with her little screwed-up mouth and blindfolded eyes, shoved at his shoulder. "Okay, okay. You ready, Rapunzel?"

"Yes, I am," she said.

So Eugene simply slipped the blindfold off her pretty face so it folded into layers around her neck; he nodded her admiring eyes away from himself toward the surprise.

She did.

She gasped. Wide eyes, mouth dropped open, the gasp escaped from her—everything about her spoke about complete surprise.

Before them was a deep chasm in the earth; they stood on cliffs covered in grass and old pieces of wood; before them, filling up every nook and cranny and tiny cliff of that chasm, was pure dark blue water. It rose and fell in waves, constantly stirring, as if something deep swam in it, rocking it about so that even the surface of the clear lake was disturbed.

If one tiptoed near enough to the water's edge, one could look into it and see the sandy, dirty bottom; one could also see the old structures of wooden beams and nails drowned in the lake. There were caves and tunnels under the water; fish came gently swimming out of some.

Rapunzel recognized this lake: this was the man-made lake she and Eugene had helped the palace guards, the Stabbington brothers, and Maximus make five years ago to the day. Now water poured from where it was kept in the reservoir into it. This lake was full of the reservoir.

They'd almost drowned themselves.

"It's the . . . the . . ." Rapunzel could barely speak, for amazement had choked her.

"You know, during the rainy season, Hook Hand says that the Duckling's cellar sometimes gets an entire foot of water in it. An entire _foot_!"

Well, Eugene was in pleasant spirits, at least.

"We—we made a lake," Rapunzel finally sputtered.

"Yes, yes we did. It needs an official name, though. Hey, great idea, Blondie. How about you name it, seeing as it's your birthday and all? As an official royal, you can declare an official name for it, which nobody can change, because of your signet rung. What'd'ya say, princess?" Eugene grinned at Rapunzel. She pulled her dumbstruck face from the lake to her husband's teasing, sincere face.

"I think that is an excellent birthday present," Rapunzel said warmly. She touched her nose to his and Pascal covered his eyes: he knew they'd stay looking deeply into each other's eyes for the next five minutes, and he'd seen enough of their little touches of affection over the years.

That afternoon was delight; a red-checked tablecloth served as their picnic blanket; the picnic basket was unpacked of all its fresh, satisfying things and most of it eaten with ravenous appetites. Maximus took up apples one at a time, let Pascal sink his little teeth into it until his entire mouth held nothing but the juicy flesh and then bite it off, and then Maximus raised his huge neck and ate the remainder of the apple in big, delicious chomps.

Rapunzel and Eugene lay on the picnic blanket under the shade of a cool tree. He laid on his side, supporting his head by his hand, his elbow digging through the picnic blanket into the dusty, hard cliff. Rapunzel held herself up on both elbows; she gazed out with some wonder and sparkle in her eye at the waves of the never-silent surface of their lake.

Eugene paid no heed to the lake; with a stray piece of yellow grass between his teeth, all his attention was kept in a gaze at his wonderful wife.

Rapunzel turned back to him with a happy sigh; "I'm so happy, Eugene," she breathed. She looked back out at the vast blue; from her tower, she'd only seen glimpses of the little trailing stream that frolicked over grey rocks; it was nothing compared to this magnanimity. The hugeness of this lake, the blueness, the smell of the fresh summerness and the sound of the gulls diving in and out and squawking among themselves gave her something along the lines of having her beauty-hungry soul be somewhat satisfied. She could barely speak; she could only happily sigh.

When she was in the tower, she knew there was a world out there beyond her little alcove. She'd thought it full of dangerous men; she hadn't had more than little hopes and dreams of a beautiful natural world beyond her green-leaved vines and bright spring flowers.

"Happy birthday, Rapunzel," Eugene whispered softly. He sat up and moved to her so their legs touched. His arm went over her thin shoulders, his hand nestling at her slim waist. He snuggled his head against her shoulder and said into her skin, "So, any names yet?"

"How about . . . Lake Accident?" Rapunzel said, teasing.

"Hmmm . . . sounds like naming it that would _sound_ like an accident," Eugene said, his voice muffled. He popped his head up. "Anything else? Like, _anything_ else?"

Rapunzel laughed, but then bit her lip and looked up, concentrating. "I was thinking. . ." Her eyes rolled down to look at him. "Lake Destiny. Because it was meant to happen. You were meant to come into my tower and I was meant to extort your help by hiding the crown"—Eugene snorted—"and we were meant to go to the Snuggly Duckling and almost get captured and break down a reservoir."

"It sounds like an awfully convoluted way to bring about a lake," Eugene said teasingly.

"Well, it sounds like an awfully convoluted way to bring a lost princess and a thief together," Rapunzel said, smirking a little.

Eugene had to give her that. "Okay. Lake Destiny it is."

She smiled and closed her eyes as he leaned forward and kissed her.

Maximus and Pascal exchanged a look and Eugene held a hand in front of their faces, as if to say, 'Give us a private moment here, guys.'

A few minutes later, all four of them stood on the edge of the lake. Maximus bowed his head and lapped up the clear water like a dog. Eugene waved his hand out. "Look at the craftsmanship of this lake. The people who made this must've been a bunch of geniuses."

"Yes, and not running for their lives at all," Rapunzel quipped, smiling.

Pascal dipped one toe in and retracted it, muttering to himself.

"Too cold, Pascal?" Rapunzel asked. She stood with Eugene's hand at her hip, against his side.

Pascal chirped in the affirmative. So Eugene squatted next to him and said, "Good for drinking, then. Huh, Max?"

Maximus brought his head up, water droplets falling from his wet mane. He neighed and watched as Eugene leaned forward with cupped hands and tasted the sweet water. The horse's face transformed with a mischievous smirk. Whistling to himself, he walked behind Eugene and casually, though purposely, gave him a little nudge with his hoof.

Eugene fell into the lake. A terrific SPLASH! filled the air. He disappeared under the water for a few seconds, invisible in the bubbling, stirred water. Rapunzel didn't worry, though. She knew he could swim. In the time it took for his wet head to pop out of the water, she gave Maximus a hard glare, which barely gave the horse any guilt. Max trotted away with a merry neigh. Rapunzel shook her head and knelt on the dusty cliff. Eugene had swum to the edge and held onto it with his arms. The white sleeves of his shirt, soaked, now became the color of orange clay.

"Are you okay?" Rapunzel asked him.

"I'm fine. It's nice in here, but I might get out in a moment to go after that horse," Eugene said. He threw a glare at Maximus, which made Maximus laugh.

"How nice?" Rapunzel asked.

Eugene looked at her and smiled. "Wanna find out?"

She answered him by putting her bare legs over the edge and slipping into the lake. She squeaked as she sank like a stone; Eugene caught her before more than her neck could fall. "I think it was adrenaline that made you swim out of that cave, Blondie. You can't even float," he said gently.

"That's why I've got you," Rapunzel said. She looped her arms around his neck and kicked her feet.

Pascal sighed, shook his head, and, with a running start, launched himself into the lake. He panicked mid-air, realizing that this was a _terrible_ idea. He found himself underwater for only a few seconds; he popped up like a cork. Coughing, he managed to get himself onto Rapunzel's wet shoulder. He trembled from cold.

"Oh, poor Pascal," Rapunzel said kindly. She let him snuggle atop her head in her hair.

"That's three of us. Max, get in here!" Eugene yelled.

Maximus looked up from some apples still left on the picnic blanket. He chuckled: 'No thanks.'

"Max," Eugene said coaxingly, "there'll be an entire basket of galas for ya if you come in."

"Bribery, Eugene?" Rapunzel questioned him, smiling.

He shrugged. "Old habit."

Maximus walked forward, entranced by the idea. He got to the edge of the lake before he realized the trickery he was letting himself get entangled with. He straightened himself, snorted, and began to back up.

Eugene raised an arm and with a bit of a leap, he grabbed Max's reins. He pulled him in beside them. Rapunzel shrank against Eugene, laughing, as Maximus created a huge splash upon entering the lake, spraying and soaking them all. Pascal squealed and covered his eyes and Maximus neighed, annoyed. He let a long spurt of water squirt out between his teeth like the village fountain. Then he swam behind Eugene and hit him with his chin, annoyed.

"Thanks for that, Max," Eugene said, rubbing his scalp.

Rapunzel giggled as Maximus then kicked the water so a splash hit Eugene in the face.

"Okay, that's enough, Max," Eugene said, getting a little annoyed.

The stupid horse was intent on revenge, though, so he didn't stop.

So Eugene started. And Rapunzel got caught up in the excitement and did sent little waves at them, too. So Pascal, of course, shrank into himself and hoped for it all to be over soon.

They didn't stop splashing each other for a while, though, and eventually Pascal climbed down onto Rapunzel's shoulder and came to her aid.

They spent the entire afternoon together, playing without a care in that lake they'd made five years ago. They were altogether still, even five years later.

It was the presence and pleasure of each other's company that made that lake special.

 **Thanks for reading!**


End file.
